Valise.



0.0.BLAKELY.

VALISE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1, 190s.

Patented May 19, 1914.

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2X fauna UNITED strains PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CALHOUN BLAKELY, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN.

VALISE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Application tiled December 1, 1908. Serial No. 465,575.

and useful Valise, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling bags or valises of the Gladstone type, the same being particularly designed for holding heavy, bulky objects, such, for. example, as bottles, packages of business papers and the like, although it-can also be used as a container for clothing, etc.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device having stifl' ends instead of folding ends as in the Gladstone valise, whereby danger of crushing the contents of the valise is obviated, said ends being peaked at a peculiar angle to constitute rests for the closures of the valise, the angles of the closures to the valise bottom. being such as to prevent the shut closures from gaping while the valise is being carried.

Another object is to provide. a device of this character having oppositely disposed hinged closures, one of which is provided with a handle-or grip, separate fastening devices being utilized for securing the closures together, and for attaching the handle carrying closure to the valise end, thuspreventing the handle from changing its relation to the vali'se body unless both fasteners are released at the same time, and, therefore, practically preventing the valise from accidentally opening to its greatest extent and dumping its contents.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in a valise comprising a body having peaked ends, closures connected to the body and movable agains the ends, end flanges on the closures for lapping ing the peaks 2 tive View of the valise, the same being shown open. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the upper portion of the valise, the same being closed. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the upper portion of the valise, one of the (:10- sures being open. 1

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the box-like body of the valise, the same being formed of sole leather or other suitable stifl material, the ends of said box being similarly formed and having their upper edges inclined at least 45 form peaks 2 constituting rests or supports for the closures of the valise. Hingedly connected to each side of the body 1 at the upper edge thereof is a closure designed to rest upon the peaks 2 of the body, one of said closures, which has been indicated at 3, being provided with end flanges 4: designed, when the closure is in position upon the peaks 2, to lap said peaks, as indicated in Fig. 3. The other closure 5 is provided with end flanges 6 and a longitudinal flange 7, said end flanges being designed to lap the peaks 2 while the longitudinal flange 7 is designed to extend over the longitudinal edge of the closure 3 and over the apex of each peak 2 and stand flat when the valise is closed. The grip or handle 8 is secured upon this flange 7 and fastening members 9 consisting of eyes are also secured to said flange and are designed to be engaged by other fastener members or fingers 10, secured to the closure 3 and extending beyond the longitudinal edge thereof in a direction to pass into the eyes as the two closures are brought together. Each closure 3 and 5 has a pocket 11 arranged upon its inner face, the end walls of the pockets being so formed as 'to fold, as shown at 12. In addition to serving as a receptacle for papers or the like, the pockets perform another and a very important function, namely, that of preventfrom bending inward, it being seen by reference to Fig. 1 that while the flanges 4L will prevent the peaks from bending outward, without the provision of the pockets, there will be nothing to prevent them from bending inward. As the pockets are of a transverse width substantially equal to the length of the sides of the pockets, it will be seen that these are braced throughout their entire extent, so that the function described is secured. Each flange 6 has a button 13 extending outward there degrees to the bottom of the box, so as to from and designed to be engaged by a hasp' 14-, pivotally mounted upon the peaks 2, said hasp being provided with an eye 15 into which the button 13 is designed to snap.

\Vhen it is desired to use this device the two closures 3 and 5 are opened to their fullest extent, and after the body of the valise and the pockets 11 have been filled, the closures are brought into position upon the peaks 2 which motion will cause the engagement of the fasteners 9 and 10. The closure 5, to which handle 8 is connected, is then fastened to the peaks by means of the fastening members 13 and 14.

It will thus be seen that the valise can be readily carried about, and while it is being held by means of the handle 8 the closure 3 can be unfastened and opened so as to permit access to be readily had to the contents of the valise, without opening the closure 5 which remains secured by the end fastening members and thereby sustains the weight of the valise. This possibility follows from the nature and location of the fasteners 9 and 10, the former having their eyes disposed transversely of the uppermost flange 7, and the latter being fingers so disposed on the closure 3 and so shaped that they will enter the eyes or draw out of them as the closure is moved one way or the other. It will be noted that'the valise cannot be entirely opened unless both sets of fasteners are unfastened, and there is therefore practically nodanger of the valise becoming accidentally opened and dumping its contents, because the closure 5 carrying handle 8 cannot be swung open unless both sets of fastening devices are unfastened at the same time. Importance is attached to the fact that the edges of the peaks 2 are disposed at least at degrees to the bottom of the body 1, so that when the valise is filled and being carried by means of the handle 8 the tendency of the weight within the valise to draw the hinged ends of the closures toward each other is reduced to the minimum and the ends of the body are subjected to practically no crushing action. Moreover, the closures will not gap to an objectionable extent at their ends, as would be the case should they be extended parallel, or nearly parallel, with the bottom of the body.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is A valise comprising a body provided with substantially triangular sharply peaked ends, closures hingedly connected to the body and movable against the said ends, end flanges on the closures, for lapping the peaked ends to prevent outward movement of'the latter pockets secured to the inner walls of the closures and extending contiguous to the peaked ends and forming with the end flanges recesses adapted to receive the peaked ends therein to prevent the inward movements thereof, locking means rigidly secured to the said closures adapted to hold the same in a closed position, and a handle secured to one of the closures for the manipulation of the said valise.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES CALHOUN BLAKELY.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES F. NEALE, WALTER B. BURKE. 

